Return to Site A
by The Hutt
Summary: There is still several billion dollars in equipment on Isla Nublar. The new president of the company, Mark Vanden, hires a team of mercenaries, private investigators, and mechanics to retrieve it. Lots of dinosaurs and action included!
1. Mission Briefing

Mission Briefing

"I'm sure you are all a bit anxious about the mission ahead of you," said the mysterious employer. "However," he continued, "bear in mind that the task is a noble one. On this island," he began, pointing to the red dot on the map behind him, "There are over six billion dollars in cloning and genetics equipment."

At this, the map on the large screen changed to show a close-up of the tropical island known as Isla Nublar. "Here, at 'Site A,' you must locate the main laboratory, extract the six memory storage units from the primary computer's hard drive, and carefully transport them back onboard the plane I shall provide you with. Then, all you have to do is fly back here! It's as simple as that!"

"Sir," came a voice from the group of mercenaries, bounty hunters, and hired searchers. Their employer, InGen president and CEO Mark Vanden, turned and motioned for the man with his hand raised to speak.

"Sir, can you tell us what we might encounter in and around the main lab?" The black-clad individual's name was Arnold Lepherd, and he smirked as Vanden stammered in his hesitation to list their potential adversaries.

"Well…" the CEO began. "Um… well, in that vicinity, there were some hatcheries, mostly for triceratops… and so long as you don't stray too far from the road on your way to the labs from the main gate, you won't meet the dilophosauruses. They mostly hang around down the in the gully anyway…"

"If I'm not mistaken, isn't the lab near the velociraptor pens?" the mercenary cut in. A deadly silence fell over the room.

"Um… well, you may be correct, but I—um…" Vanden stammered. "Regardless," he said, composing himself, "you need not fear an encounter with velociraptors." He didn't sound very convincing.

"Back to the briefing," the speaker said abruptly as quiet murmurs began to spread through the gathered band. "On this next slide you will see the schematics of the lab…" He turned, ready to point at the maze of corridors and stations when the onscreen image changed to something completely different and unexpected.

The back wall was suddenly covered with a large picture of a velociraptor baring its bloodied fangs threateningly. A note at the bottom of the photograph read: Image courtesy of John Hammond.

Suddenly, one of the people in the semicircle of seats rose and dashed out of the room, crouched forward with his head down. Slightly panicked, Mark Vanden said, "Um, I-I'll be right back!" As an afterthought, he removed the horrifying image with one of a brachiosaurus munching on the leaves of a tall tree in a plain doused in the radiance of a gentle sunset.

Out in the hallway, Mark Vanden found the young man who had fled upchucking in a trashcan. Kneeling beside his employee and placing a hand on his back softly, he said, "Hey, you all right?"

Seth Redding looked up, his face pale and his eyes ruddy, and replied, "I don't think I can do this!"

"Now, look," the INGEN CEO, said, choosing his words carefully. "If I didn't think you could do this, I wouldn't have hired you. You'll be fine. That place isn't as bad as Lepherd would have you believe."

Of course, this statement was completely false. The ruined theme park was a living hell, and anyone who had been there or its sister Isla Sorna would have told Seth so right away.

Back in the InGen facility, the briefing finished with no further incident. Seth returned, still uneasy about the mission. However, his apprehensions diminished slightly as Mark Vanden continuously reiterated the safety of the task ahead.

"Are there any questions?" Vanden said as the screen behind him returned to a map of the park. He looked around the room as a few hands went up. "Ah, yes, Mr. Glenstone?"

A tall man in the back asked, "What will we be paid for completing this charge?" This inquiry was followed by a few murmurings of agreement about the importance of this matter.

"InGen will pay you each fifty-five thousand US dollars upon your return, along with an additional ten thousand for each computer board safely returned to our researchers."

"What are the odds of encountering a T-Rex on this mission?" was Arnold Lepherd's question.

Vanden paused for a moment. Finally, he said with a hint of uncertainty, "There is absolutely no chance at all of running into a tyrannosaurus rex while at the laboratory."

"I have a question," said Seth, raising his hand.

The CEO whirled around to face the asker. Tentatively, he said, "Yes?"

Seth put down his hand. "What will the recovered memory be used for?"

Confused, Vanden replied, "I don't think I understand."

"What I mean is," Seth tried again, "are you planning on using the memory stored in those computers to create more dinosaurs?"

The entire audience turned to look at Mark, who suddenly began chuckling to himself. "No, no!" he said, composing himself. "We have no intention of making any more dinosaurs, let alone _here_, in San Diego! What we want to do is utilize the sophisticated cloning and DNA replicating programs to stimulate the rapid development and multiplication of adult stem cells, which will be extracted from mature bone marrow, as opposed to the controversial method of using human blastycists. Do you know what that would mean, Mr. Redding?"

Seth shook his head.

"It could, quite possibly, mean that cures for cancer, AIDS, diabetes, sickle cell anemia, and hemophilia would be right around the corner, just to name a few. This mission will change the world as we know it."

"Well, that is certainly a most noble goal," Seth commented, deep in thought. He had been unsure about the aftereffects of the search mission. However, this seemed perfectly honest, even heroic. Seth couldn't help but think of all the people he knew who suffered from incurable diseases. Suddenly, a tinge of guilt crept into his mind. How could he possibly be so selfish as to decline the offer to save countless lives just because of a few overgrown lizards?

Each member of the team still willing to go to the island was told to say their name and place of origin, as to try to begin uniting them in preparation for their dangerous task. The group consisted of: Morgan Pearcy of Indianapolis, Chuck Reynolds of Seattle, John Cheng of San Francisco, Hakeem Smith of New York, Tim Atherton of Canberra, Manuel Sanchez of Ciudad Juaréz, and Rick Badgers of Boston, along with Seth and Arnold. All were proficient drivers and mechanics, and most were exceptional marksmen.

The team would fly from InGen headquarters in San Diego to La Romana, Dominican Republic, then out across the sea to Isla Nublar. They would land at the main airfield, then trek down to the motor pool where they would salvage a truck. The plan continued that they would drive along the path through the large herbivores section of the park to the information center. They would pass through here and down into the labs so as to avoid going near the abandoned raptor pens.

Understanding their objective and ready to roll, the InGen team went off to a little more briefing. They were instructed on the use of their weapons and test-drove a jeep akin to the kind that was used by rangers and technicians in the old theme park. Finally, it was off to their respective hotel rooms for a good night's sleep before they flew to the Caribbean in the morning…

**AN—Thank you for reading, and please review! Also, do not worry; the coming chapters will be considerably more action-packed than this exposition!**


	2. Rough Landing

**_Rough Landing_**

The roar of the small airplane's engines drowned out all noise in the hangar. "Do you think we could have gotten a louder plane?" shouted Chuck Reynolds.

"What?" Seth yelled back.

"Nothing!" Chuck said dismissively.

The team boarded the plane quickly and settled into their seats. These were, in fact, surprisingly comfortable. Seth rummaged through his pack and located his iPod, inserted the earphones into his ears, and tried to forget about the mission ahead of him by loading his brain with classic rock.

Suddenly, the side door of the aircraft slammed shut, rousing a couple of the men from their time-passing activities. Three men walked into the fuselage; two were wearing short white InGen-emblazoned lab coats over their outdoor attire while the third was stocky with a bright red beard and rectangular glasses. He wore a crisp white cowboy hat upon his head. "Everyone, get rid of your little distractions and listen up!" he bellowed. Seth quickly stowed his music player.

"My name is Steven O'Neil, and I will be leading you in your quest. Early tomorrow morning, we will be landing on Isla Nublar, and I want you all to have your wits about you. Now, I know you are aware of your objective and where you must go, but there is more I should tell you pertaining to any unpleasant occurrences.

"The dinosaur population on the island should be considerably smaller than when the park was operational. You see, they cannot reproduce; according to InGen reports, all dinosaurs in the park are female."

This speech carried on longer than necessary. O'Neil instructed them on what to do in case one of them became separated from the group, if a dilophosaurus attacked, if a triceratops charged them in the dark corridors of the hatchery, and a host of other incidents and dangers.

Night soon fell, and the team searched in vain for blinds about their portholes. Finally, each settled for shoving a sweatshirt or bandanna in the window, fearing the hot South American sun rising unexpectedly in the morning while they slumbered. The gentle rocking of the airplane quickly put them all to sleep. Thankfully, no dinosaurs stalked Seth's mind that night…

* * *

"Wake up, we're almost there!" called O'Neil in his drill-sergeant manner. Most of the squad woke with a start, much to the leader's amusement. A few men almost jumped out of their reclined seats, some spilling books and packs from their laps into the aisle.

"Well, well, well…" said O'Neil, prowling slowly between the seats menacingly. "It looks like we're ahead of schedule. While you were all off in _dreamland_, we landed in La Romana and refueled. In less than an hour, we'll be right over Isla Nublar, and your real task will—" Suddenly, the red-haired man stopped. He looked sourly to his right. Rick Badgers was sprawled in his seat, his eyes closed and his mouth wide open.

"SNOOOOOOOOOOOOORE!!!"

For a brief moment, a devious flicker crossed Steven O'Neil's eyes, but he abruptly seemed to have decided against whatever cruel idea had crept into his head. He looked away sharply and continued pacing and talking. "I hope you brought something to eat, 'cause I sure didn't bring you anything."

* * *

"The island!" John Cheng cried suddenly. Everyone rushed to the right-hand windows and peered out through the low-flying clouds at the dense jungle below.

"Hey, look, a T-Rex!" Arnold Lepherd announced, pointing out the window. This spurred great excitement (and apprehension), but it was quickly apparent that this was a jest, as Lepherd had returned to his seat and fallen into fits of laughter.

"All right, you hooligans, get back to your seats. This could be a tad bumpy," warned the pilot. "Everyone, buckle your—WHOA!"

Suddenly, the plane bucked and dropped a little bit. It turned sharply to the left, sending water bottles rolling across the aisle. "Sorry about that," said the pilot as the airplane quickly leveled out. "If you will look out the left-hand window, you will see… well, I'm not quite sure what it is."

Sure enough, a pteranadon soared past the aircraft. It was blue with a long, narrow head and leathery wings. It looped past the left wing and drifted lazily on an updraft. This graceful specimen was the first dinosaur any of the team had ever seen, but it was definitely not the last…

A few minutes later, the plane made its decent. Seth hurriedly buckled his seat belt as the fuselage was buffeted by turbulence. This prompted another "Sorry, folks!" from the pilot. He seemed to be quite an apologetic person.

The canopy rushed up under the airplane. The pilot tried valiantly to pull up, seeing that the runway was a lot more overgrown than Mark Vanden had told him. Suddenly, a giant object rose from the thick green carpet; an unknown dinosaur. The pilot veered away from the dark lump, but the right wing struck the upper branches of a massive tree. It spun in a semicircle, the tail grinding against more treetops. "Hang on!" shouted O'Neil. Then, the tail caught a gap in the foliage and dropped drastically. It slammed into the runway that was hidden underneath, the ailerons hanging limp and the underside of the tail scraped clean off. Smoke poured out and a hissing filled the air as the plane fell still.

"Well, that went well!" announced John Cheng. He got to his feet and looked back. His face fell as he gazed straight out the removed back end into the wrecked airfield beneath the wild canopy.

"It appears that we may have difficulty getting off the ground again," O'Neil said to the pilot. "Do you think you could fix up the plane while we went looking for those files?"

"Umm… sure… we've got plenty of tools" the pilot replied, "… but could you leave behind somebody in case… you know…"

"Fine," said the leader. "I volunteer bed head!"

"Hrm? What…?" mumbled Badgers, just now awakening. His long curly hair was splayed in a wild nimbus about his head and shoulders.

With that, the rest of the team, plus the two scientists, loaded up on ammunition and set off to salvage a vehicle. The motor pool was half a mile down a steep hill through the fringes of a dark, mysterious forest. The silence was deafening…

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**AN— Thank you very much for reading. Please take the time to submit suggestions and comments, and be on the lookout for upcoming chapters.**


	3. Enter the Carnivores

**_Enter the Carnivores_**

Eleven figures marched through the jungle. Tim Atherton and Steven O'Neil walked up front, swinging their machetes back and forth synchronously, sweeping away the stalks and vines that had tried to conquer the dirt road.

"Stop!" called O'Neil suddenly. He motioned with his sword at the cluster of stout buildings up ahead and to the right. "There's the motor pool. There's bound to be a few trucks and jeeps in there. Let's have a look."

The group made its way over a few downed trees to the tiny clearing in front of the row of semi-cylindrical structures. The first one was empty, so they moved on. The next had two vehicles: a tow truck with its front windshield smashed out and a jeep in relatively good condition. The third and penultimate cover yielded only a truck that had been torn apart—along with the two InGen workers inside.

While the others were taking a look at the two cars, loading up their gear and firing them up, Chuck Reynolds walked around the shredded partition into the fourth and final chamber. There was another truck here, less damaged than the previous one. Nondescript crates were stacked along one tarp wall. Chuck set his AK-47 down on the hood of the InGen truck as he continued, having heard a strange, rhythmic noise. It sounded like shallow, rasping breathing.

There was something in the recesses of the motor pool. It moved very slowly, appearing to be the size of a small dog. "Hey, little guy," Chuck whispered. "Hey, what are you doing back here?"

Suddenly, the creature emerged from the shadows, coming out of its crouch. It was revealed to be a bipedal dinosaur standing just over one meter tall. It had stubby arms and hunched shoulders. "Oh sh—" Chuck exclaimed, but before he could finish, the dinosaur's face was abruptly wreathed in a colorful explosion. It screeched, opened its mouth wide, and spat at the man.

"Yeargh!" Chuck shouted, falling back as a thick, molasses-like substance hit his face, stinging his eyes. He thrust his hands up and scrabbled at the goop. He collapsed onto his back, his legs flying up in the air. Seeing its prime opportunity, the beast prepared to spring at its prey.

However, before the predator could launch itself at the prone Chuck, there was a loud crackling. The dinosaur fell back with a high-pitched growl and writhed on the ground a moment. Hakeem Smith stalked up behind his downed companion and fired a few more shots into the creature, ceasing its contortions. "Humph. Dilophosaurus," he muttered.

"Oh, you idiot!" barked O'Neil, rushing over. He slid onto the ground beside Chuck, who was still yelling in pain and confusion. "You, grab the first aid kit!" he called to Seth, who immediately took off for the jeep. The leader turned back to his patient and began pouring water over his face. "Why did you have to run off and almost get eaten?" O'Neil snarled. "All right, calm down. I'll just wipe this up and—Redding, _hurry up with that kit_! Open your eyes so I can pour this water in and flush out the venom!"

* * *

Shortly following the ordeal with Reynolds's eyes, the party was thundering down the dirt roads toward the park entrance. They took the pickup, the jeep, and the tow truck. The first vehicle carried Manuel, John, the scientists, and Chuck, who was sprawled in the back with a damp cloth over his face. The jeep held Seth, Tim, Arnold, and Morgan. O'Neil rode in the third car along with Hakeem.

"So… what's your guys' stories?" asked Tim.

"I was a stunt driver in four action films and three car commercials," said Morgan.

Seth didn't know what to say when the group looked to him. "Um… I just sort of do odd jobs." In fact, Seth had dabbled in several occupations, most notably as a private investigator, but he never had any really big cases. That is, until he had been hired to locate a stolen car. He found the expensive vehicle in a warehouse, and all he had to do was call the police when he was spotted hiding amongst some boxes. A brief brawl had followed, and somehow, the lanky Seth managed to pummel three gorillas of thugs, breaking one's neck so that he was in the hospital for three months. However, the payment was less than satisfactory. He did get a lot of publicity, though—both from the cops and some more unsavory characters. He was about to leave for someplace isolated and far away from death threats when he received a curious invitation from one Mark Vanden.

"I'm a bounty hunter," said Arnold Lepherd abruptly. "Tell, me Redding," he said, glancing with heavy-lidded eyes at Seth, "how many men have you killed in your lifetime?"

"Uh… um… none," Seth stammered, startled by the question.

Lepherd cracked a grim smile. "You're lucky," he commented. This eerie statement left the crew in the jeep silent for a very long time.

Finally, Morgan piped up and said awkwardly, "So, what do you do, Tim?"

"Me?" the driver asked cheerily. "Well, mate, I'm a ranger on a nature preserve out in the bush in central Australia. When I'm not amongst the kangaroos and wallabies, I make my residence in Canberra. It's a great line of work."

Seth and Tim had a lot of questions about Morgan's movies. This followed by Tim trying to match the stuntman's experiences on camera with his in the outback. His goal, although not directly stated, was obviously to amiably one-up Morgan with tales of real danger.

Eventually, the small caravan pulled up in front of the massive wooden gate that marked the entrance to Jurassic Park. O'Neil slipped out of the front vehicle and walked up to the gatehouse. "Keep the engines going!" he called back. "I'll be right back."

A minute or two passed, with no sign of the group's leader. This led everyone to be increasingly on-edge. "Where do you think—" Tim began, but his inquiry was cut short by a sudden cry from the jungle. O'Neil came rushing from between the heavy doors, which were slowly opening. Apparently, he had been successful in his search for the control mechanism.

Something was wrong, though. As the shouting man drew nearer, the party could see that the right sleeve of his tan shirt was shredded and soaked in blood. With his unwounded arm, the leader waved back and forth. "Get in the trucks! Get your guns!"

"What?" yelled Manuel.

Suddenly, the rate at which the gate was opening increased rapidly, and four ferocious velociraptors, their mouths open wide in their signature shrieks and their claws flashing. They had reddish-orange skin with black stripes, with long, powerful tails and infamous toe claws. They launched themselves out of the entrance—straight at the shocked group in their trucks!

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**AN—Thank you so much for reading. Please review; I love to receive input and suggestions. Also, note that the variety of raptor I chose for this story is **_**The Lost World **_**type.**


	4. Battle with the Raptors

**Battle with the Raptors**

"Get away from the jungle!" shouted Tim Atherton over the din of the gunfire. The clearing was suddenly surrounded by velociraptors, all hungry for human flesh.

Seth Redding darted for the jeep and leaped inside. He uncovered the crates in the back and extracted a rifle. Just then, one of the dinosaurs bounded down the hill and jumped atop the hood of the vehicle. Seth turned and, more out of reflex than planning, pulled the trigger.

_Blam! _The velociraptor cried out as the bullet struck its chest, spraying the front windshield with blood. It staggered back, slipped, and flipped off the front of the car into the dirt.

"Good shot!" called Tim from behind the tow truck.

"Thanks!" Seth replied, exhilarated at his unexpected success.

"Hey, duck!" Hakeem shouted as he ran between the two vehicles. Without question, Seth threw himself onto the back seat. Hakeem unleashed a flurry of bullets that riddled the raptor that had just been about to bite off Seth's head.

Seth rolled over, dodging the beast as it fell forward, spilling the ammunition boxes. He sat up as Morgan called up to him.

"Hey, Chuck's in trouble!"

Clamoring out of the back seat, Seth followed the stunt driver to the back of the pickup where Chuck Reynolds was laying. "Oh, thank goodness you're here!" Chuck said.

The two stood protectively beside their companion, ready to defend him. "Here they come!" announced Morgan. Suddenly, four raptors rushed out from the trees and charged the truck. Seth and Morgan raised their rifles and began firing. The lead dinosaur went down immediately, and the one behind it tripped over its prone form and collapsed to the ground. Morgan placed a booted foot on its neck, put the barrel to its temple, and shot it before it could get up and slash him with its claws.

However, this move put the stunt driver in a bad position. A velociraptor leaped up and kicked him powerfully with two legs. He flew back onto the ground, his head barely missing the edge of the truck bed. Just as the dinosaur was about to finish off its prey, Seth turned and shot it thrice in the neck. He pivoted and blasted the face of the final raptor as it rushed at him.

"That was amazing!" Morgan coughed, dusting off his jacket and retrieving his weapon from the dirt. "Come on, there may be more—"

"Raaaaaah!"

"What was that?" exclaimed Seth, looking toward the location of the loud noise. On the other side of the clearing, near a steep hill leading into the dense foliage, O'Neil was fighting a duo of raptors. He held an Uzi in his uninjured hand, the other hanging limp, probably broken. He uttered a terrifying war cry as he exterminated both foes.

Suddenly, another predator pounced out of the jungle onto the team's leader. He fell forward, and it caught his head in its sharp, hooked teeth. It yanked back, and at the same time, it thrust a foot into O'Neil's back and stabbed him with its lethal toe claw. "Yeargh!" the doomed man shrieked. Then, he fell silent and ceased resisting. The velociraptor dropped him onto the ground in a bloody heap and made as if to tear off a chunk of his flesh when John Cheng sniped it from afar. It dropped beside its would-be meal, dead.

After a minute or so, the group relaxed, knowing that the battle was over. Every velociraptor had been slain. Much to their dismay, when they inspected their leader, they found that there was no life in the mangled figure.

Unable to load the body into one of the trucks because of its destroyed state, the team settled with burying their leader on the island. They picked out a space off toward the jungle and covered the grave with heavy stones in an attempt to protect the corpse from scavengers. "It's not where he would want to be laid to rest, but it'll have to do," commented Tim.

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**Well, one adventurer down, and many to go! *laughs maniacally* Check back shortly for more of the quest to retrieve the genetics equipment. Thanks for reading, and please review!**


	5. The Theme Park

**Recently, I received a review from someone under the penname "A Latino Guy" which made some very noteworthy points. To those of you who did not see the review, "A Latino Guy" requested some more back stories to characters and that I refrain from killing off all of the minority mercenaries right off the bat. I am replying at the start of this chapter as the review was anonymous, and therefore I couldn't reply through conventional means. Anyway, I'd like to thank this reviewer for making such valid observations and requests, and to point out that when he said he was rooting for Hakeem (who is an African-American from NY) and Manuel (who is Mexican), he forgot John Cheng, the Chinese-American from San Francisco. Anyway, I appreciate the review, as well as the one from "Lemon!" Furthermore, in case a favorite character dies in the next few chapters (which I wrote prior to these reviews) I'd like to apologize in advance. Sorry.**

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_**The Theme Park**_

"Well, welcome to Jurassic Park," muttered Arnold sarcastically as the three vehicles rolled through the open gate. The mood was quite subdued with O'Neil dead. No one looked forward to arriving at the lab.

"What did that sign say?" asked Seth, craning his neck to catch the last vestiges of a metal notice on the fence to the right.

"Um, it said stegosaurus," replied one of the scientists, a stunning red-haired woman by the name of Eva Marley. The order of the seating arrangement had been destroyed after the battle with the velociraptors; everyone just hopped in the nearest truck or jeep. The jeep now held Morgan, Seth, Eva, and Arnold.

"That's the one with the horns, right?" asked Morgan.

"No, no, no! You're thinking of a triceratops! A stegosaurus has spikes down its back and a long tail with a mace on the end!" the other scientist corrected. He was a tall, fair-haired man, with brought shoulders and a perpetually cheerful face, even if he was frowning. His name was Daniel Knott.

"Oh…" said Morgan, miffed.

"You mean like that thing?" asked Seth, pointing ahead down the road. Everyone stood up and looked over the cracked windshield.

"Stop!" cried Eva. Morgan slammed his foot on the brakes, and the jeep skidded to a halt. Sure enough, a huge, spiny, scarlet dinosaur with four stumpy legs and a powerful tail tipped with a lethal spiked club lumbered out of the ferns and onto the dirt road.

"Whoa!" exclaimed Morgan. "That thing's _hideous_!"

Suddenly, the dinosaur turned on the jeep and wound up its mighty tail. "I think you made it mad," called Daniel from the pickup truck. The stegosaurus let loose a potent sweep of its tail-club, which collided with the grille of the car. The entire vehicle rocked backward violently, causing its passengers to grab onto the seat or windshield in front of them to avoid tumbling backward.

In the tow truck, Hakeem Smith and John Cheng grabbed rifles and prepared to shoot the dinosaur. "Wait!" Eva shouted to the other vehicle. "It will ricochet off the armor plates! Don't shoot it!"

The two men lowered their guns as the jeep flopped back down onto the dirt road. As soon as its tires hit the ground, the jeep sped off, swerving around the stegosaurus and thundering down the hill into the park.

* * *

"Hey, look over there!" shouted Daniel, pointing off to the side of the road. Everyone looked over to see that a section of the fence was broken inward, wires dangling in a mess. The back end of a Jurassic Park jeep was visible poking out of the jungle. A sign nearby read _Dilophosaurus_.

"That's kind of weird…" said Morgan.

"Hey, we're nearing the information center!" announced Seth. The three cars rolled up to the large, marble-laden building and parked outside the broad front steps. The jungle had not yet claimed this facility, and most of the higher-level windows were still intact.

"Let's get those circuit boards or whatever they are and get out of here!" said Arnold, grabbing a machine gun from the back of the jeep and jogging up the stairs.

"Actually, they're memory storage units," corrected Eva, following him.

"I don't care what they are; let's get them!"

The others armed themselves and progressed inside the building. The interior was stunning—or at least it once was. There were two gently curving flights of stairs leading up to a marble balcony. The centerpiece was a pterodactyl skeleton suspended by translucent wires. Worn posters ringed the grand entrance displaying new exhibits and the science behind the park.

The scientists, who knew the layout of the building best, led the team through a large set of mahogany doors. "Ooh!" said Chuck, walking over to the ride that once took visitors on a tour of the labs. He placed a hand on the railing and tried to get a look of the other side. Suddenly, something flew at his face. "Aah! Not again! Aah!" he screamed, falling back.

There was a silver flash and a loud _thunk! _Chuck got up and looked at the seat in front of him to see that the dinosaur; a one-foot (30.5 cm) tall compsognathus. It had been skewered on the end of Arnold's thick combat knife.

"Oh… thanks," said Chuck, getting to his feet. He had recovered pretty well from the Dilophosaurus attack due to O'Neil's quick action, but he still rubbed his eyes occasionally.

The squad proceeded down some stairs to a metal door. "Wait," said John before Eva could open the door. "We don't know what's in there."

"All right," the scientist sighed, thinking feverishly. "Could you and somebody else stand by the door when I open it, just in case something's taken up residence?"

Furtively, Manuel pushed Seth from behind, forcing him to step forward. "Ah, good. Seth, come up here," said Eva, leaving the vicinity of the door. Seth swallowed hard and stared at the door. "Okay… three… two… one…"

_Click!_

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**AN—Thank you for reading, and please review! Unless you didn't catch it, the wrecked jeep was the one from the first JP movie in which that guy (his name escapes me) drove off the road, met a dilophosaurus, and began talking to it and trying futilly to get it to chase a stick. When he got back in his car, it ate him. If someone could tell me this idiot's name, I would be very grateful.**

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	6. The Hatchery

**_The Hatchery_**

Eva twisted the handle and flung the door open. Instantly, she jumped back. John and Seth rushed up to the door, their rifles raised to fire at anything that came at them. However, nothing did.

Feeling stupid, the two lowered their weapons and walked cautiously inside the dark room. Eva searched the wall a moment, finally locating a switch. She flipped it up, and the space was suddenly illuminated by fluorescent lights in the ceiling.

"What is this place?" inquired Manuel, following the three in.

"It's the hatchery, where dinosaur eggs were incubated and eventually hatched," explained Eva. She walked between the rows of glass domes toward a metal desk laden with documents. These domes were the tops of the incubators, which sat atop bulky pedestals adorned with coils of copper wire.

Seth wandered over to a cluster of the machines. Three of them had broken tops, an ominous sight. However, one was still whole. Inside, there was a large, shattered egg. A tiny dinosaur was inside, but it was dead, having starved with no technician to let it out of its confinement. Seth couldn't help but feel bad for the little thing. It had never even gotten a chance at life.

_BANG!_

"Hey, did anyone hear that?" asked Daniel. The group froze. "Must have been nothing," the scientist said dismissively, returning to his examination of a supercomputer making up the far wall.

_BA-BANG!_

"There it is again!" cried Eva.

"Hey, John, Seth, you come with me. We'll go see what that is," said Tim. With that, he shouldered his rifle and set off down the narrow corridor towards the source of the noises. The other two followed reluctantly.

The threesome went through a set of metal doors into a room similar to the first. However, the incubators were in disarray, many of them having been ripped off the ground and lying strewn carelessly. "Shh…" whispered Tim, motioning for the others to follow close behind him. They emerged from the doorway and snuck between the mechanisms very quietly. "Seth, you check to the right, John, the left. Go!" he whispered, and the others split up to search the grid of incubators.

When John reached the far side of the room, he turned to go back, but his eye caught something in the shadowy recesses of the next room over. The doors had been stripped from their hinges, so he could see clearly that something huge was crouched down in the lab within.

John was about to call out when the thing charged. It burst from the darkness, revealing itself to be an eight-meter (26 foot) long, gray-green skinned, three-horned triceratops.

John unleashed a hail of gunfire at the advancing beast, but it shrugged them off with its bony frill. Abandoning his counterassault, John yelped and leapt to the side, but the dinosaur impaled him with one of its horns and flung him through the air. He landed with a massive crash against one of the previously undamaged incubators and slumped down on the tiled floor in a pile of broken glass and blood.

The rampaging triceratops turned around the corner and made for Tim, who had made the mistake of standing up. His eyes went wide and he jumped onto a ladder, which was dangling about four feet above the ground, and climbed up into the pitch-blackness above. Seth looked up to see the Australian disappear amidst the rafters and ran toward the ladder himself. However, the triceratops cut him off.

The giant herbivore pawed the ground thrice, preparing to charge. Seth didn't give it a chance though; he was all ready sprinting for the door. Looking over his shoulder, Seth saw that he wouldn't make it to the exit before the triceratops dealt with him the same way it did with John.

Suddenly, a small object fell at Seth's feet. He hopped over it and kept running. He looked back one last time, and, to his surprise, not a moment after the triceratops moved over the black item, it exploded. The shrapnel tore through the dinosaur's underbelly. Its four heavy feet fell out from under it and it rolled over, letting loose a thunderous moan. Then, it fell still.

"Quite a display, eh?" said Tim, smiling from the rafters. He was holding another grenade, but seeing as his first worked so well, he quickly returned that one to his belt. "Well, let's get back to the group!"

* * *

**AN—Thank you very much for reading! To those of you who have reviewed, I give you much gratitude, and to those who have not, I ask you to please take the time to give your input, suggestions, and opinions.**


	7. The Genetics Lab

**The Genetics Lab**

"Be careful through this next area," said Daniel. "We believe that compsognathus may have overrun the lab after a section of the wall caved in."

"Might I ask what caused the collapse?" asked Arnold. His tone made him seem as if he was eager for the scientist to mention something particularly nasty.

"We're not sure," replied Daniel, punching in the code to an electrically locked door. "All we've seen are a few aerial photographs, but it looks like a large dinosaur, perhaps an allosuarus, a tyrannosaurus, or even a gigantosaurus broke through with its sheer mass and strength."

"What's a gigantosaurus?" asked Seth nervously. He was still rattled from the encounter with the triceratops. "It sounds b-big…"

"A gigantosaurus is a five-and-a-half meter tall carnivore," the scientist explained.

"How much bigger is a T-Rex?" asked Seth, fearing the answer.

"Actually, tyrannosaurus rexes were—I mean _are _somewhat smaller. There are lots of dinosaurs bigger than a T-Rex, such as the brachiosaurus and the spinosaurus. Don't worry, though, this lab is too enclosed for anything that big. The triceratops barely fit anyway."

"How tall is a T-Rex, then?" persisted Arnold. He seemed obsessed with this dinosaur.

"According to InGen records, there was only one tyrannosaurus rex on the island, and it was last measured at 4 meters tall—or 13 feet, and 12.8 meters long—that's 42 feet."

"There was just one?" asked Morgan, surprised.

"The tyrannosaurus is a very solitary predator. They don't interact much, nor do they hunt in packs like velociraptors or compsognathus."

"What is this compsognathus you keep mentioning?" Chuck inquired as Daniel unlocked another door.

"You saw one back upstairs," said Daniel, succeeding at opening the door. "It's a little fellow, usually green or black and white striped with little pre-feathers."

"Oh yeah," said Chuck, recalling the incident with the tour ride.

"Here we are," announced Eva. "Get ready. We don't know what's in here," she reminded. The group prepared their weapons and crept toward the doorway very cautiously.

"I don't see anything," whispered Morgan.

The lab consisted of a large ring, with a massive column in the center filled with a blue-green liquid. Control panels covered the circumference of the centerpiece. To the right was the group's target.

"The coast's clear," called Tim, returning his rifle to his back. "Let's have a look at those memory storage units." He walked into the lab and over to a towering computer. "How do we get these things out?" he asked, examining the large rectangular ports in the console.

"You just press the switch… here," said Eva, pushing the button beside the opening. Instantaneously, the memory device inside was ejected, allowing Tim to pull it out fully. "Uh-oh," said Eva.

"What is it?" asked Daniel, hurrying over.

The red-haired scientist sighed dramatically. "This one's corroded," she replied, gesturing at the unit, which was encrusted in a strange white substance.

"Let's check the others," said Seth optimistically. He hopped over the counter and joined the three in collecting the large computer devices.

Once they had each square, which had roughly the same surface area as a Nintendo Wii, they sorted them into 'usable' and 'to discard'. The result was four safe memory units and two destroyed ones.

"Will this work?" asked Seth, concerned as Eva tossed the two corroded devices in a nearby trashcan.

"Oh, yeah, this will be great," replied the scientist.

"Hey, what's that over there?" said Chuck distractedly. Once again, he wandered off and managed to find trouble.

"Oh, it's another compy!" he laughed, spotting the little feathery dinosaur on the desk ahead. "Hey, little guy. You're not so scary now!" he cooed.

Suddenly, the compsognathus skittered off around the corner. "Oh, hey, don't run away!" said Chuck. "No, no, come back; I won't hurt you." He crouched down and followed the diminutive creature. He ended up walking a little bit around the central pillar.

"Hey, where're you going—" asked Chuck, keeping up his adopted falsetto. All of a sudden, he found out what the tiny dinosaur was up to. To his shock and dismay, he had stumbled upon a pack of at least thirteen of the little guys. "Uh-oh," he muttered, backing away slowly.

Abruptly, every compsognathus turned on him and screeched. Then, they leapt onto him. He was still in a half-crouch, so he was knocked down by their bodies pelting against him. He cried out as they bounded on top of him, biting at his face and hands. He rolled frantically, trying to crush the little monsters.

"Where's Chuck?" asked Tim. Suddenly, he heard the shouts. "Chuck!" he called, grabbing his gun off the counter and running with Manuel and Morgan to find out what was happening.

"Oh jeez," breathed Manuel, spotting the feeding frenzy. In the short period of time it had taken the trio to come to their spastic companion's aid, he had been reduced to a semblance of a piece of beef.

"Well, don't just stand there!" shouted Tim. "Shoot them!"

All at once, the little hopping predators came at the threesome. The suddenly snapped back to reality and opened fire. The creatures were too fast for most of the shots, but Morgan, with his semiautomatic pistol, Tim, with his high-powered rifle, and Manuel, with his machine gun, managed to kill every single 'compy,' as they had been nicknamed by InGen teams who encountered them on Isla Sorna.

"That is _nasty_!" exclaimed Hakeem, coming around the corner with Arnold.

"I saw it coming," said the bounty hunter, shaking his head. The others tuned to him and stared with scorn, for while they had all been thinking it, each of them knew to say so was inappropriate.

* * *

**Thank you very much for reading. Be sure to check out the poll on my profile about Jurassic Park. There's another one pertaining to my Final Fantasy Fanfic, **_**Through the Rift**_**. Please review, and check back shortly for the next chapter!**


	8. Returning to the Plane

**_Returning to the Plane_**

Having completed the first portion of their mission, the group made their way out through the hatchery and into the information center. Then, they left the building and got back in the vehicles. They forewent the tow truck as they could now fit everyone in two cars.

"That was actually not to bad," said Seth, who had the apprehension during the briefing and on the plane.

"Don't get too excited just yet," warned Tim. "We still have to get to the plane."

"I hope the pilots and Rick Badgers managed to fix that thing up well enough to get us back to San Diego," said Morgan.

"I'm sure they did," said Tim dismissively. He turned the jeep to the left as they came to a sharp bend in the road. "The plane wasn't damaged too badly."

"Are you kidding me?" exclaimed the ever-pessimistic Arnold Lepherd. "The whole tail was almost torn off!"

"Emphasis on _almost_," Morgan remarked. He looked over to the right and was startled to see a three-meter tall (9.9 ft) allosuarus tearing the flesh from a dead plateosaurus's flank. The scene was a safe distance from the road, but the stunt driver was disturbed nonetheless. He sank into his seat and stared straight ahead down the road. The sooner they got off the island, he thought, the better.

The return trip was somewhat shorter, as the team did not have to fight a swarm of raptors at the park gate. They were soon at the motor pool, much to everyone's relief. Then, they rolled up to the airstrip.

The airplane rested like a beached whale under the canopy it had demolished. It didn't appear to have been fixed much; the back was still shredded, and there seemed to be new vertical slashes against its side. "Hey, guys, we're ready to roll!" called Arnold, walking up to the plane. He was surprised to find that the door had been wrenched free and was lying on the ground nearby. He entered the cockpit and saw something terrible.

The pilot and copilot were slumped in their seats. However, they weren't in the expected state; their flesh had been stripped from their bones, so that the occupants of the aircraft were two skeletons in torn, blood-drenched uniforms.

"I don't think we'll be going home any time soon," called Arnold as the others walked in.

"Where's Rick?" asked Manuel, hurrying back into the fuselage. He quickly located Badger's skeleton in his seat.

"Let's see if this baby can still fly," said Morgan, pushing aside the dead pilot to get at the controls. After a few minutes of futile efforts, Tim stepped up and gently pried the man away from the dashboard.

"We're grounded, mate," he said.

"But how will we get off the island?" cried Seth.

"There's a radio station up in the highlands not far from here," suggested Eva.

"Well, I guess we're off for the highlands," sighed Tim, leaving the plane.

That evening, the team was driving through the jungle. It was getting quite dark, and a dense fog had settled over the area, limiting vision. It had rained in the late afternoon, so the dirt road was very moist. Occasionally, the cars' tires sprayed up gushes of water from puddles. "This is really creepy," Seth commented, gazing out at the white depths.

"Let's just get to the highlands," muttered a tired Morgan, who had taken over driving. Tim was fast asleep in the passenger seat of the jeep. Shortly, they drove into a large paved space.

_VROOM! RRRT! FWOOM! SKREEK!_

"What in the world?" said Morgan as he pulled the vehicle up alongside the source of the series of loud noises. He stopped and hopped out of the car. "What happened?" he called, running up to the InGen tow truck. It appeared to have almost hit a large obstruction and swerved dangerously out of control.

"We barely missed that!" explained Hakeem, getting out of the truck. Morgan and he walked over to the mass and inspected it.

"What is it?" asked Arnold, jumping over the side of the open-top jeep and hurrying over.

"It's a park jeep," announced Hakeem. "Looks like something big flipped it over."

Seth and Tim were still in the jeep. The one who was awake did not feel safe getting out. He was eager to get away from the wrecked vehicle and move on. However, the others continued to circle the crash, discussing it in inaudible murmurs. Seth sighed and looked over the side of the jeep. There was a rather deep, murky puddle there. He watched it indifferently, getting very sleepy…

Suddenly, the water rippled. At first, Seth didn't understand what he saw. Then, a slight undulation spread across the puddle again. Curious, he continued to watch the phenomena.

_BOOM._

The sound was quite distant, but Seth was immediately on alert. Something was amiss. The water continued to ripple, only with more intensity. "Guys…" he called. There was no reaction.

_BOOM._

"Guys! Get back in the trucks!" he yelled, a little louder.

"What is it?" asked Tim, waking with a start.

"I don't know," replied Seth, his eyes roving back to the puddle, "but I doubt it's good."

Tim leaned over the side and looked at another pothole in the concrete. Suddenly, his eyes opened wide and he shouted to the gaggle amid the wreckage, "Get in the trucks!"

There was a sudden roar from back down the road. The foliage parted and a huge tyrannosaurus sprinted onto the path behind them. Its long legs thudded on the ground with each large step. It dipped its head down toward the ground and let loose another great bellow.

That seemed to spur everyone into action. They hurried back into their respective vehicles. Morgan was the first to get his vehicle started, and he floored the gas immediately, speeding off down the jungle path. Hakeem was quick to follow, with Eva, Daniel, and Manuel along with him.

The predator was gaining ground rapidly, brushing aside trees that had fallen across the path as if they were sticks. Morgan and Hakeem, however, had to swerve away from the numerous logs.

"GOGOGOGOGOGOGOGOGOGO!" yelled Seth, watching the T-Rex draw nearer.

"I can't see a damned thing through this fog!" growled Morgan, swerving away from a thick-trunked tree just in time.

ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAARRR!

Suddenly, the truck Hakeem was driving hit a large bump and flew up in the air. It came crashing down onto the path right in front of the jeep, forcing Morgan to go up on the steeply banked side of the jungle path. Branches thwacked violently against the windshield, spreading large cracks across it.

Suddenly, the tyrannosaurus rex disappeared into the white mist. "Where'd it go?" yelled Tim, squinting. Morgan turned them back down onto the lower part of the path, and Hakeem moved back over to allow him some room. "Where'd it go?" Tim shouted again.

"I don't see it…" replied Hakeem, leaning out the window. "You see it, Manuel?" he called into the back of the vehicle.

"No," the Mexican answered, gazing into the fog. "Wait… I think I see it…"

"Look out!" shouted Hakeem, who really had spotted it, only on the other side of the road. The massive dinosaur burst through the trees and snapped at the jeep.

Morgan turned the vehicle away sharply, but ended up in a spin, sending up a cascade of mud and dirty water. The jeep clipped the back of the pickup, causing it to swerve to the left. The tyrannosaurus bent down and opened its mouth wide, catching the truck in its jaws. It lifted it up a short distance, but Hakeem floored the gas pedal, and the spinning wheels caused the predator to drop the car. It slammed down onto the path, rattling its occupants.

Hakeem sped off, trying to put distance between his truck and the T-Rex. The danger wasn't with the pickup, though. The jeep was now in peril. It had fallen behind, and a great sweep of the tyrannosaurus's thick tail almost decapitated everyone in it.

"Morgan, can't you go any faster?" Seth shouted over the din of the dinosaur knocking over trees and repeatedly walloping the ground with its colossal feet as it ran after its quarry.

"Tim, see if you can shoot that thing!" Morgan yelled over his shoulder.

"Got it!" Tim affirmed, grabbing a rifle and climbing over the passenger seat. Arnold took his place at shotgun. "Take this, you stupid lizard!" the Australian yelled at the great dinosaur.

Just as the T-Rex bent down once more and unleashed a terrific bellow, Tim fired the gun. The bullet penetrated just under the beast's left eye. It staggered, its imposing roar turned into an agonized screech. It regained its balance, though, and sprinted like never before after the jeep.

Tim, who was standing up on the top of the backseat, was unfortunately the highest point on the jeep. The tyrannosaurus rex rushed up to the speeding vehicle and swung its head downward. Tim took careful aim and fired again, hitting the roof of its mouth. However, to his horror, the long, curved teeth did not pull away as he expected them to. He screamed as the dinosaur grabbed him in its massive jaws. It bit down and lifted him out of the jeep with his legs still dangling and kicking from between its teeth. The great carnivore arched its neck up so that it was perpendicular with its back and swallowed the Australian, adding a few quick chomps along the way.

"Tim!" cried Seth.

"There's no helping him now!" snapped Morgan, swerving away from the creature. "It's paused," he announced, "so maybe we can escape!"

Arnold turned around in his seat. "Uh-oh!"

"What?" cried Morgan, taking a look to his left. "Oh jeez."

The T-Rex had returned its sights to the pickup. It probably assumed the larger vehicle was an adolescent triceratops or something, one of its primary choices for prey. Hakeem tried valiantly to escape the rampaging dinosaur. It bore down on the vehicle, though, and caught it in its bloodied teeth once more. This time, though, the beast picked it up five meters in the air. It shook it vigorously, and then brought its head down. The passengers clung on for dear life. When it was a couple meters over the ground, it accidentally struck the car against a tree limb and dropped it onto the path. It rolled thrice then fell still.

"Keep going!" called Arnold, rapping on Morgan's shoulder. The jeep thundered away, safely away from the dinosaur. Suddenly, it hit a ridiculously deep pothole, and Seth was flung out the back of the car. He landed in the muddy path before he knew what happened, striking his head sharply on a large rock. The last thing he felt before loosing consciousness was a great gust of wind as the T-Rex's tail whizzed overhead. Then, everything went black…

* * *

**Finally! The great Tyrannosaurus Rex has made an appearance, and I think it made quite a dramatic entrance if I may say so myself. I apologize if it was too similar to the first JP film, but it was the best way to introduce the T-Rex to the story. Actually, the foggy jungle chase scene was loosely based on an early level of The Lost World arcade game. Thank you for reading, and please review!**


	9. Grasslands and Highlands

_**Grasslands and Highlands**_

Seth struggled to rise to his feet, but collapsed again. He changed his tactic, rolling over and brushing aside the mass of large leaves that had fallen on him. As soon as he moved, though, an intense pain shot through his head. He cried out weakly and tensed up, gritting his teeth until the throbbing subsided. It was quickly followed by a wave of nausea, which was almost worse.

Suddenly, the events of the previous night came rushing back to the private investigator. He forced himself to turn his head. With a better view of the surrounding area, he slowly and painfully scanned for danger. To his relief, the jungle was quite and calm, albeit a little destroyed.

Finally, Seth clambered into a kneeling position, and eventually rose to his feet. He dusted off his torn, dirty jacket and trousers. Next, he looked off down the road in both directions. To his dismay, there were no vehicles visible. He gazed into the distant jungle, all of a sudden feeling very small.

Now came the daunting task of calming down and figuring out what to do. He couldn't stay where he was, lest a dinosaur come by and eat him. Therefore, the decision came down to whether to walk further into the jungle or back the way he came to the information center.

Suddenly, Seth recalled what had happened right before he fell out of the jeep and hit his head on a rock. The truck Hakeem was driving had been plucked off the path by the tyrannosaurus rex, bashed against a tree, and dropped onto the side of the road. Therefore, it must be back down the road. That is, unless it had been suitable for driving and the others escaped sometime in the night.

Having nothing better to do, Seth set off in this direction, keeping an eye out for predators. To his relief, he soon spotted the flipped truck. Two of the doors had been torn off and the whole front windshield had been smashed out. However, there was no one in sight.

Seth rushed up to the destroyed vehicle and knelt beside the passenger seat. It was upside down, and when he looked back within the car, he saw that there was a smear of blood on the backseat. Beginning to panic, Seth searched for the former occupants' weapons. Horrified at not finding so much as a knife, he climbed atop the underside of the truck and buried his head in his folded arms. The others were long gone, taking their packs and their guns with them.

"What's that?" came a hushed voice from the ferns off the side of the path. It sounded like a woman.

"Is it a dinosaur?" came another whisper; this time a man.

"No," cried a third, bursting through the foliage onto the road. "It's Seth!" exclaimed Manuel. He rushed up to his compatriot and shook his hand vigorously. "My am I glad to see you!"

"Ah, this is perfect!" cheered Daniel, emerging from the jungle along with Eva and Hakeem. "We can get out of here!"

"_Excellentisimo_!" agreed Manuel.

"We thought the jeep drove off to the highlands!" said Eva, laughing.

Seth was very confused. Suddenly, Manuel clarified the group's joy. "Where are Morgan, and Lepherd?" he asked. "We're all ready to hit the road."

"Umm…" Seth began, thinking frantically for a way to break the news to the revelers.

"You did come back in the jeep, right?" asked Eva, suddenly realizing how confused the private investigator appeared as he stared blankly back at her.

"I fell out of the jeep right after you guys crashed," Seth explained. "I don't know where those three are."

The atmosphere abruptly plummeted in elation like the surface temperature of an object thrust into liquid nitrogen. The four passengers of the truck ceased their upbeat chatter and stood gaping incomprehensibly at Seth as if he had told them the world was flat. "So we're stuck out here?" asked Hakeem, his concern mounting.

"_Maldita Sea_!" Manuel growled, casting his hat upon the ground.

"Well, we could go to the base of the mountain and meet up with them on their way back down," suggested Eva, keeping her cool.

"What are we waiting for?" said Hakeem, perking up. He shouldered his rifle and picked up the canteen he had dropped in his jubilation.

"Who's hurt?" Seth asked, suddenly remembering the blood on the backseat.

"Oh, that would be me," said Daniel, gesturing at the bloodied bandages about his right leg. "The spare tire fell off the windshield and hit me," he explained.

"Hey, wake up!" Arnold barked, tapping the brim of Morgan's hat. The stunt driver looked up slowly and tipped the expansive hat away from his brow.

"Where are we?" he asked through a relaxed yawn.

"While you were dozing, I drove us up to the highlands," replied Lepherd gruffly.

"Hmm…" mumbled Morgan, rubbing his eyes. He looked up at the distant mountain and, more importantly, the tall black spire atop it. "Is that the radio tower?" he asked.

"Of course it is," grumbled the bounty hunter, turning around a rather large boulder. "We'll have to get out and walk soon. The switchbacks are too narrow for the jeep."

"Do you feel bad not checking on Seth and the others?" Morgan inquired from the back.

"Look, when we get a plane over here, we can fly over and look for them," Arnold replied curtly.

"Ah, good thinking…" said Morgan with a nod.

Down the mountain path, through the sparse forest, and across the vast grasslands, there was a great watering hole. Here, iguanodons, plateosuruses, brachiosaurs, and an ankylosaurus were drinking. There were four other creatures here, but they were not dinosaurs.

"This place is amazing!" said Eva, ducking under the lowering neck of a brachiosaurus. "All of these dinosaurs just come and drink together."

"Well, there aren't any carnivores here yet," Daniel commented.

"Why did you have to say that?" groaned Seth. Just then, a deinonychus, with a flexible tail and dark scales, scurried up between two plateosauruses and drank from the large, clear pool.

"Well, would you look at that," said Hakeem, smiling. "Who'd have thought?"

The group left the watering hole behind and walked up a gentle, grassy slope to a ridge overlooking the vast valley beneath the mountains. Gazing at the jagged peaks, they could see the radio tower.

"I wonder if those guys have managed to get out a distress call…" wondered Eva aloud.

"This is Morgan Atherton. InGen-34 has gone down on Isla Nublar. Please send aircraft." The stunt driver had been saying this over and over for the past seven minutes. He and Arnold had tried contacting Mark Vanden, the US Army, Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard, Marines, and the Panamanian military. The result: jack squat.

"Are you sure this thing's hooked up correctly?" asked Arnold, trying to make out the instructions in the darkness of night.

"It has to be!" yelled Morgan unexpectedly, whirling around. He slumped into a nearby chair and lowered his forehead to the surface of the desk in front of him. "It has to be…" he muttered again, shaking with chill and fright. He dreaded another day on that godforsaken island.

SCRRRRRCH! WHIRRRR! BLEEEERCH! SCRRCH! WHOOSCHRRRRR!

"Huh?" said Morgan, looking up at the radio.

"USS_ Seahawk _to Isla Nublar, come in Isla Nublar," came the voice through the white noise.

"Oh my God!" cried Morgan, throwing himself over the chair and a counter to get to the radio. "This is Isla Nublar. Over."

"See you in the morning, guys," said the cheerful voice of the Captain on the other end.

* * *

**Well, it appears that everyone is saved… or are they? Check back soon to find out! Thanks once more for reading, and please review!**


	10. New Arrivals

**_New Arrivals_**

"So what's your guys' stories?" asked Daniel. They were still up on that ridge, having camped there the night before. "All Vanden told us was that he hired a bunch of mercenaries."

"Well, I do a lot of things like this," explained Manuel. "I've been all over, looking for missing people, tailing nefarious guys for clients who don't have enough evidence for a real case… until I catch them in the act. For my last case, I caught the police couldn't get—the day I accidentally wrecked my car against his, he was trying to bring a car bomb north across the border. A few days later, I got an invitation from Mark Vanden."

"Hm. Same situation here," said Seth. "What about you, Hakeem?"

All eyes went to the tall, muscular New Yorker. He sighed and replied, "I used to design weapons and vehicles for the United States Army. I devised a method for using high-powered lasers in surface-to-air turrets. We were testing the prototypes when saboteurs attacked us. I've been practicing with firearms all my life. Somehow, I managed to kill six of the assailants. That's when I got my invitation."

Nearby, Eva and Daniel got out the memory storage units they had been carrying in their packs. "Phew!" said Eva, relieved. "These are all still intact."

"Just think of all the dinosaurs you could make with the technology here…" commented Daniel wistfully.

A few minutes later, the group was trekking through the forest down toward the grasslands. Seth pulled Hakeem aside for a moment and said, "Hey, did you hear what Daniel said back there?"

"About the dinosaurs? Yeah."

"Isn't that a little weird; I mean, our goal is to get this equipment for genetic research to cure diseases."

"Ah, he was probably just joking," Hakeem said dismissively. "Don't worry about it."

"Yeah… you're right…" Seth said, but he wasn't convinced.

WHOP WHOP WHOP WHOP WHOP WHOP WHOP WHOP!

"What's that noise?" asked Eva. The procession stopped and looked around.

"It sounds like a…" whispered Manuel.

"Helicopter!" Seth finished with a shout. He tore off down the conifer-coated hill toward the open plains, followed quickly by the others. Sure enough, a large military craft soared over the hills and overhead.

"Over here! Hey! Help! Over here! Heeeey!" came the chorus of voices of the group. They rushed out of the forest and waved their arms, jumped up and down, and tried everything they could to hail the chopper.

To the assembly's delight, the Navy helicopter descended and landed in the valley nearby. They ran over and climbed aboard. Then, the vessel lifted off into the sky and left the dangerous jungle far behind…

The helicopter flew the party over the grasslands and back to the museum and labs. It landed on a pad connecting to the main building's roof. Curiously, there was already a chopper there. Emblazoned on its sides was the logo: _**InGen**_.

"Ah, the heroes return from their journey!" said Mark Vanden when the team entered the upper levels of the structure. They filed into an observation deck with large windows. All of the glass was long broken out.

"We have four of the devices, sir," said Daniel, handing over the dirty, worn backpack to the beaming CEO.

"Good, good! Thank you very much!" he said, chuckling joyously. "You will be paid very much for this triumph!" Suddenly, the man's face fell. "Wait a minute… where're the pilots? Reynolds? Badgers? Cheng? Atherton?"

"They're all dead," explained Seth flatly. "We're not sure about Arnold and Morgan," he added, remembering the duo that had left him for dead in the jungle. Then, the private investigator removed his ball cap and set it on the desk nearby and scratched his head, which had become itchy from the accumulated dirt of three days in the jungle in his hair.

"Ah, they are the ones who contacted the _Seahawk_," said Vanden, staring at the bag greedily. "They're safe and sound downstairs… where you should head now," he added. "Captain Lawrence really wants to meet you; he's the one who rescued you." With that, two Navy sailors escorted the victorious squad down into the information center.

Downstairs, the group did not meet Lawrence; instead, they encountered a man in a medal-adorned Army uniform. "Hello, all," said the man cheerfully. "I am General Talbott, United States Army. I'm sure you can't wait to get back to civilization." The general continued to talk with the party for a little bit.

A few minutes later, Seth hurried back upstairs, having forgotten his hat. He looked around, trying to remember where he set it. Suddenly, his hand brushed against an open briefcase, knocking a few documents out. When the private investigator looked at the spilled papers, he was shocked to find out that they bore pictures and DNA sequences of several dinosaurs. There was a file on gallimimus, stegosaurus, and spinosaurus.

"Now, what would you be doing up here?" came a dark voice from behind Seth…

**Thanks so much for reading, and please review! As the story starts heading into its conclusion, I'd really like to know what you think. I'll be gone for a week, so there won't be any new posts for a little bit. Thanks again!**


	11. Liars

**_Liars_**

"I said, what are doing up here?"

Seth turned around to see that the speaker was none other than Mark Vanden. "I forgot my hat," he explained, picking up the cap and placing it on his head.

"Was it in there, with the dinosaur files?" Vanden asked, gesturing at the open briefcase.

"No…" replied Seth weakly. "Um, is something wrong, sir?" he asked, inching toward the door.

"No… everything's fine. I'm sorry…"

Seth turned and hurried for the exit. Suddenly, he stopped, looked over his shoulder, and said, "You're not using this equipment for medicine, are you?"

Vanden sighed, going through a mound of folders and loose papers on the desk before him. "Look, I had to get you on that island, one way or another."

"You're a liar!" bellowed Seth, advancing on his employer. "You're robbing people who need help of their cures! I don't want any of your dirty money! I'm going home!"

"And I wouldn't think of giving my dirty money to you," Vanden said darkly. He withdrew a revolver from the stacks of pages and pointed it at Seth. "Please step away from the door," he ordered calmly, cocking the weapon.

Seth was shocked. "Y… you can't… you can't just kill me!" he stammered. The unfortunate truth was, Mark Vanden could and _would _kill him. "I've all ready declined payment! What do you want me to do?" He began to panic.

"I don't want anything more. The problem is, you were marked from the get go. Now that you've seen my true plans, I have no choice but to kill you. Otherwise, I'd risk you spilling the beans and ruining InGen. I hope you understand."

"_Un__derstand_?" the private investigator exclaimed. "No, I _don't _understand!"

"You are too innocent… not like my _real _employees. Now _get over there so I can kill you_!" Vanden roared, advancing menacingly.

"Wait… who was in on this?" Seth said, partly to stall and partly because he was genuinely curious.

"Ah, let's see…" said Vanden, "The only ones who really knew were Arnold, Tim, John… oh, and the scientists Daniel and Eva."

"So you're going to kill the rest of us?"

"Of course! Hakeem, Manuel, Morgan, and you will not leave this island alive!" Vanden slipped his index finger around the trigger.

"Wait a minute! Who was O'Neil aligned with?"

"Ha! That fool! He had no idea what he was doing, the stupid mercenary! He was simply a scapegoat. Tim was supposed to see to his death so that he could take over!"

_ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!_

"That sounded close," said Seth nervously.

"Indeed, but by the time it arrives, you will be dead, so do not worry," said Vanden as if this made complete sense. He calmly, raised the gun and prepared to shoot his former employee. "Any last words?" he asked out of courtesy.

"Yeah," replied Seth defiantly, his courage being reclaimed as he came up with a plan. "I hope you're happy with what you've done!" He strategically backed himself up against the desk.

"I am quite satisfied. Is that all?"

"That… and _this_!" Seth cried, suddenly flinging a stack of loose papers at Vanden. They burst out in a large white explosion. Furious, the InGen CEO fired several shots randomly, his vision briefly obscured. However, Seth was all immediately at his throat, knocking him to the floor. He lashed out with a foot and managed to kick Vanden's wrist into a filing cabinet. The murderous businessman dropped his weapon.

"Damn you!" seethed Vanden, bending down to snatch the revolver. Seth beat him to it, though, and proceeded to pistol whip his face ferociously. He didn't know where his fury came from, but at the thought of all the suffering people who could use that technology, he lost his mind.

Finally, Vanden managed to kick his assailant in the stomach, sending him careening over the desk. He leapt at him, grabbing his lapels and beating the back of his head against the wall.

However, there was one thing Mark had forgotten. Seth had the gun, and he quickly had it up and cocked. Vanden let go and dove behind a row of monitors. However, Seth didn't fire. He suddenly realized that he couldn't bring himself to kill another human being. He dropped the gun, confused. This man would have shot him without a second though, but he felt bad about turning the tables.

Free of a moral dilemma, Vanden did not hesitate to renew his assault. He punched Seth in the face, causing him to fall to the floor—on top of the revolver! Vanden kicked the private eye in the side until he rolled away. Then, he grabbed the weapon and ran to the open windows along one side. "This is it!" he said with a laugh. He reached out… and fired the pistol. Because his wrist was broken, though, he missed. In a daze, he fired again, this time almost hitting Seth, who was crawling across the floor, winded.

Mark extended his arm one final time. He smiled, lined up the shot perfectly, and pulled the trigger.

_Click!_

The CEO stared at his weapon in shock and dismay. He checked, and discovered that it was empty. He had used up all six bullets. Seth saw this, and with one final surge of strength, charged his former employer, put both hands on his chest, and pushed firmly. The man stumbled backwards and toppled over the edge, just as the tyrannosaurus rex they had heard earlier burst through the trees. It caught him in its jaws as he plummeted.

Seth leaned against a computer console, trying to remain conscious. He looked up and saw the T-Rex's tail swing straight at the observation tower. It collided with it, smashing apart the supports. Debris rained down into the jungle, and it was all Seth could do to dive trough the door and avoid going with the platform.

* * *

"Are you sure you're all right?" asked Hakeem, walking with Seth onto the airstrip. Three Army planes sat ready to go.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks," he replied, wincing at the throbbing in his head.

"All right. If you're sure…"

"Welcome, one and all!" said Talbot cheerfully as he walked up with a rather unnecessarily large force, all armed with machine guns. "Are you ready to depart?" he asked.

"Yeah! You bet! Let's go!" replied the group in a disoriented chorus.

"Well, that really is a pity, isn't it," the general said darkly. "Because, you see, we've just received new information. It seems that this island, and everything on it, is to be destroyed. I apologize, but that includes your research. Hand that over first," he said sternly, reaching out a hand.

"You must be mad!" shrieked Eva, hugging her pack close.

"Oh, I assure you, I'm not."

"Why is everyone lying?" Seth muttered under his breath.

"This can't be legal!" said Daniel, putting himself between the general and Eva. "This is InGen private property! You can't blow it up!"

"What makes you say that?" asked Talbot, motioning skyward. Suddenly, six fighter jets soared overhead, dropping bombs into the jungle. One landed nearby, blasting the information center to a flaming pile of rubble. "Haha! You see, I've got you trapped! There is no other option!"

"Who sent this order?" growled the captain of the _USS Seahawk_, advancing on the Army men. "Surely I would have also heard it, since I was in the area!"

"I… uh…" stammered Talbot. "Well… it was… um…"

"You just want that research for your own benefit!" shouted Captain Lawrence. "You could make a fortune selling that overseas!" He turned to Eva and Daniel and said, "Don't give it to him!"

"Nonsense!" barked the general, drawing his handgun. "This is top-secret. Men, don't listen to their lies! Get that bag!"

Three soldiers rushed forward and surrounded the two scientists. Daniel punched one in the face, but another rammed the butt of his gun into the engineer's, knocking him to the ground. "Eiiiyaaa!" screamed Eva as the third man wrestled with her for the satchel.

"This is madness!" cried Lawrence. Finally, he drew his own pistol and fired three shots into the air. Everyone fell still. "Now, how about we get off this island. Then, once we get back to the States, we can figure out who needs to do what."

"I'm going with him," said Manuel, walking over to the group of sailors.

"Argh!" growled Talbot. "You all aren't leaving here! The public isn't supposed to know about this operation!"

"What makes you think we won't just go tell the whole world what you did after we give you the memory?" spat Eva defiantly.

"Good point," said the irate general. "Men, open fire!" he cried. There was a brief hesitation. Some soldiers stood still and looked around, confused. A few actually threw down their weapons and joined Manuel, Lawrence, and the sailors who were a little ways down the airstrip. Many, though, shrugged off their consciences and followed orders.

"Get down!" yelled Arnold over the crackle of gunfire. He grabbed Seth and hauled him into a ditch.

"I thought your loyalties lied with Vanden!"

"Man, that's all over! I was just being a jerk because he said to rattle you. Now we're all in this together! So GET DOWN!"

The runway plunged into chaos. It was escalated when a pack of velociraptors joined the fray, running in from the jungle. Soldiers and sailors rushed about, shooting at each other and at the dinosaurs. Some teamed up to pursue the mercenary team. The raptors didn't care who they were pouncing on, and several Navy and Army personnel were felled by their teeth and claws.

"Why?" was all Captain Lawrence could say to Talbot. "Why?"

"I'm following higher orders," replied the general, observing the carnage from the steps to the lead plane. "Speaking of orders, I would strongly advise calling off your men, for some of them are turning on fellows of the United States military."

"Yours are too!" retorted the captain.

Meanwhile, the mercenaries were tearing through the tall grass, tripping over boulders and falling into ruts. Several soldiers followed them in, firing randomly. Suddenly, Arnold went down, shot in the back. Seth kept running, though, and adopted a zigzag pattern.

Suddenly, the soldiers realized they were no longer the hunters; they were the hunted! The raptors had seen them disappear into the reeds, and they were advancing on the group stealthily. One of the men dropped to the ground abruptly and was dragged off, screaming and flailing for something to grab onto.

A couple of the soldiers turned and fired in the direction of the raptor pack, leaving only three to pursue the fleeing band. "I think we're loosing them!" exclaimed Hakeem.

"Where's Manuel?" cried Morgan.

"He was standing with the captain the last time I saw him!" replied Hakeem.

Indeed, the Mexican was still back on the airstrip. He had taken a fallen soldier's M16 and was shooting the raptors that were charging the planes. Talbot spotted him down below and aimed his handgun at him, but Lawrence grabbed his arm and flipped him over the side of the ramp. The general fell onto the dirt runway and had to scramble back up, unarmed, to avoid becoming dinosaur food.

"Whoa!" shouted Morgan, startled by a gigantic prehistoric crocodile in the creek ahead. He leaped over it's head, followed by Seth and Hakeem, just as its huge jaws opened wide. However, the soldiers who were chasing them were cut off by this predator, and they fled back to the airfield.

"How do we get out of here?" asked Seth as the threesome climbed up a small hill.

"We could steal a plane," suggested Hakeem.

"Let's try not to do anything _else _illegal," said Seth.

"Hey, it's not our fault!" Hakeem replied. "That general went nuts, and the sailors are just making it worse by fighting back!"

"Is there an InGen plane around?" asked Morgan, peering down at the airfield.

"There!" shouted Seth, pointing down at a small propeller plane some distance from the military craft. "We could take that and let these lunatics deal with each other!"

Suddenly, the reeds below parted, and the scientists ran out. "We've got the memory chips right here," said Eva, panting.

"Great. Then we're all set!" said Morgan, hurrying down the hill.

"They better not try to charge us with anything for this whole mess!" said Hakeem, following the stunt driver. "I am _not _going to prison for something a bunch of whackos ruined!"

"They can't really," explained Daniel. "If they did, word would get out about the military bombing the island. This island isn't in US water—they wouldn't want that to get out."

Eventually, the party reached the airfield and snuck past the fighting. Now, the sailors and soldiers had forgotten their conflict and were trying to repel the raptors. This was of no concern to the mercenaries and scientists, though—they were about to leave.

"Have you ever flown one of these?" asked Hakeem as Morgan hopped into the pilot's seat.

"No, but have you?" retorted the stunt driver, hunting for the correct switches to start the engine. Finally, he figured it out, and the plane rocked none to gently as it moved down the runway. "Everyone buckle up!" called Morgan, increasing the throttle. "Here we go!" The plane picked up speed and began to lift off.

Suddenly, there was a deafening roar, and the tyrannosaurus rex returned, snatching a raptor off the ground and devouring it. "Aaaaah!" the entire party screamed when the dinosaur raised its head. By some miracle, it opened its jaws, and the right wing managed to pass directly between the rows of razor-sharp teeth.

And then the plane was gone, never to return to that terrible isle…

**Thanks for reading! I apologize for the length of this chapter, but I had a lot to say. I hope you liked the strange turn of events; I thought it would be interesting to include the bombing raid on the island, after playing the finale to the game Jurassic Park III: The DNA Factor. If I'm not mistaken, that's why so many soldiers arrived at the end of the third movie. Anyway, check back very shortly for the last chapter, where all will be explained and it will be revealed who was in the right: the mercenaries, General Talbot, Captain Lawrence, or Mark Vanden. Thanks again, and please review!**


	12. The New InGen

**_The New InGen_**

After the team left Isla Nublar, they flew up to Puerto Rico, where they sought the aid of the Coast Guard. Then, they were taken to San Diego, where the InGen staff was astounded. However, at first, no one mentioned the recovered memory chips—not even Daniel or Eva.

Later that day, Captain Lawrence and the _Seahawk _and General Talbot made their way to the United States, but they were hesitant to have the mercenaries arrested, as this would create trouble for them, too.

Trouble came anyway, though. Someone leaked information, and soon Talbot and Lawrence found themselves being investigated. The captain was court-martialed for not telling anyone that he was sailing to Nublar to respond to the distress call, but shortly he was back on the seas with his men.

General Talbot had quite an interesting trial. His higher-level orders, which were classified, did not specify the killing of anyone, nor did they state that he was to hold said persons in custody. However, he was supposed to destroy all traces, including research and data, but InGen was left alone to keep the public in the dark.

The soldiers who had fired on the mercenaries and the other branch of the armed forces were punished, but once again, they had to be bribed to prevent word getting out. The whole thing was just a massive misunderstanding, in which each party brought its own radical, spontaneous decisions that contributed to the chaos.

None of this really mattered much after a few years. This is where the story concludes…

"I am Rebecca Werner, from Channel Seven News, reporting from the steps of the new Saint Hammond Hospital, where the cure for ALD has been discovered. Later today, the first patient will be treated. I'm here with head geneticist Eva Farley and chief engineer Daniel Knott… and here comes the new president of the company: Seth Redding!"

Seth walked out of the hospital to immense cheering. He stood before the crowd, flanked by the two scientists. He waved, picked up an oversize pair of scissors, and cut the red tape that had been stretched across the entrance…

THE END

* * *

**Thank you so much for reading! I dearly hope a day will come when currently incurable diseases are eliminated by advanced procedures. Please review!**

—**The Hutt**


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